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The two most common types of resistance typically found on exercise bikes are magnetic or friction resistance. I will explain how each type of resistance works below to help you understand the difference between magnetic and friction and how each affects the workings of an exercise bike.
Exercise bikes utilize a flywheel system, consisting of a heavy metal disk that is connected to the bike’s pedals. As you cycle, the pedals turn the flywheel and the rotational energy is stored in the flywheel. Either magnetic or friction resistance is then used to effectively add a braking effect to the flywheel. By changing the resistance level, you can effectively increase or decrease the intensity of your cycling workout.
MAGNETIC Resistance on an Exercise Bike Explained:
Exercise bikes that utilize magnetic resistance have powerful magnets each side of the flywheel that create a magnetic field. As you pedal, the flywheel rotates and interferes with the magnetic field created by the magnets, thus creating an opposing force, i.e. resistance.
With magnetic resistance, as you turn up (increase) the tension level, the magnets will move closer to the flywheel to create a braking effect that makes it harder to pedal. As you turn down (decrease) the tension level, the magnets will move further away from the flywheel, making pedaling easier.
